I was not consulted, says Amarinder

Amarinder Singh, who was removed as Congress Punjab unit chief, on Wednesday said he would have suggested a different name as his replacement had he been consulted.

A former chief minister of Punjab, Singh was replaced late on Tuesday night by Gurdaspur MP Pratap Singh Bajwa.

“I was not consulted on the decision. Had I been consulted, I would have suggested someone else who could lead the party at this crucial time,” said Singh.

He said talks of his replacement had been hovering for quite some time as the party was looking for an able replacement to steer the party.

However, Singh, 70, stood behind the party despite his removal. “I am a faithful Congress leader and have complete faith in the party under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. I will abide by all decisions of the party,” he said.

Singh was replaced in the backdrop of the party's dismal show in Assembly elections last year. His replacement Bajwa is a younger face and a first-time Member of Parliament. Talks of this change have been rife ever since Congress was defeated by the SAD-BJP alliance in the Assembly elections in January last year.

Singh had been under attack from within the party too for his functioning style. Demands for his removal were made by various sections in the party.

After his appointment, Bajwa said his first priority would be to unite the party in the state.

Aide resigns

Following Singh’s replacement, his close aide Major (retd.) Amardeep Singh on Wednesday resigned as Pradesh Ccongress Committee secretary, reports PTI from Chandigarh. Amardeep said, it was his moral duty to resign so that the new PCC president can constitute his team.